When a pickup truck is hitched to a trailer for towing, access to the cargo box of the pickup truck is often compromised because the tailgate cannot be fully lowered due to interference with a component of the trailer such as the trailer jack post or other trailer hardware. In such a situation, access to the cargo box of the towing motor vehicle is gained only by lifting items over the tailgate or the cargo box sidewall. Significantly, this requires lifting of potentially heavy materials to a greater height when loading the cargo box substantially increasing the energy, work and effort required.
This document relates to a new and improved tailgate assembly and the related method that allows the lowering of a tailgate even when a motor vehicle is hitched to a trailer thereby greatly improving access to the cargo box of the towing motor vehicle.